Support for Victims of Sexual Violence

Dear Ms. Grant,

I believe in this day and age, there are so many hot topics on the rise that some of them get pushed to the wayside. I was thinking about recent current events, and they really have gotten me thinking about what our local communities lack or need improvement upon. Then I came to the realization that our city has very little support for rape victims, and no educational programs to help teach children how to protect themselves.

Rape is a somewhat “taboo” subject, which most people would rather sweep under the rug than to deal with the elephant in the room. I realize that there is little in place to try and make the elephant in the room smaller and easier to handle though. There are national hotlines that rape survivors can call, but the amount of local support is miniscule. There should be a local support group that will allow everyone to participate with private counseling groups for those who would like help with the added privacy.

I also believe there should be a program to educate youth about what exactly rape is, who can be affected by rape, and what to do if you have been raped. If you look at the news media, several public figures who hold important positions in our society constantly make ignorant comments regarding rape survivors. My fear is that as a society we will deteriorate our standards regarding the seriousness of rape and become less empathic to those that have had that traumatizing experience. As a community, we need to reach out and show those people that they are supported in the wake of them experiencing their heinous crime.

Sincerely, Sabrina Hennemeier

The Urban News replies:

We applaud the letter-writer for bringing to public attention the need for greater awareness, prevention, and services about sexual violence. We urge all those interested to visit the website “Our Voice” (www.ourvoicenc.org), formerly the Rape Crisis Center, to learn about the myriad programs available in Buncombe County. Among them are school-age programs for grades 4-6, 7-8, and high school; college and young adult programs, and many training programs for adults (including those in such fields as bartenders).

Our Voice operates a 24-hour crisis help line at (828) 255-576 and provides free counseling services for victims of sexual violence as well as for those indirectly affected, such as family members and friends.